Guideway for sliding windows



Sept, 17, 1946. P. MESNEL 2,407,671

GUIDEWAY FOR SLIDING WINDOWS Fild Aug. 2, 1959 BY-W Patented Sept. 17,1946 GUDEWAYFOR SLIDING wisno s 3 Pierre Mesnel, Colombes, France;vested inthe 1 Alien Property Custodian Ap ication August2,193'9, SerialNo- 2873 a InFrance August5, 193 8 3Claims. (01.296445) This inventionrelates to channels and guides for both sliding and stationary forwindows on automobiles and the like, and to the manufacture thereof.

Hitherto guides for sliding windows, in particular for automobiles, havebeen delivered by the manufacturer to the body-maker in the form of amore or less long, generally straight strip. The operative entrustedwith the mounting, shapes said strip according to the contour of thewindow opening to be fitted, after having cut it to proper length, andthen fixes it to the frame of the window opening. This mounting workrequires a certain amount of skill on the part of the operative,particularly when he is required to fit window openings having a curvedcontour, such as those of the modern streamlined automobiles.

In practice, it frequently occurs that instead of making the guideaccurately follow the rounded contour of the opening, the operativebends it rather too abruptly, so that angular bends are formed that aresubsequently detrimental both to the correct slidin of the window and tothe appearance of the car body.

The present invention overcomes these drawbacks, and involvesmanufacturing, in the factory, in their final shape, the channels whichare intended to be used to guide and support windows, especially forautomobiles.

In the ensuing description, which merely dis closes a non-limitativeexample of the invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdiagrammatical drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the metal core of a contour ribbon madeaccording to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same along 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a similar section in expanded condition;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of such a core forming a guide channel;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of such a strip.

Throughout the views, the same numerals indicate the same or like parts.

In practicing the invention, a metal core, ribbon or strip of suitablewidth, generally indicated at l is initially bent, rolled or foldedlongitudinally to U-section by known mechanical means (not shown). Agroup of one or more parallel transverse intermediate folds 2, 3, 6, I,etc., are formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and then the two portions onopposite sides of said transverse folds are embossed with longitudinalcorrugations or flutings 4, 5, etc., the intermediate folds being atfirst compacted toward one end of the strip as best seen in Fig, 2.Thereafter, the strip is elongated longitudinally to open and erect thetransverse intermediate folds so that they will assume the shapes andrelative arrangement shown in section in Fig. 3. The strip or ribbon canthen be bent to the desired cross section and cut to form proper lengthchannels to fit any given window opening, or the bending into a U- shapeor other appropriate cross section may be donebefore the operation ofexpanding the intermediate folds is performed.

If desired, the transverse folds may first be made open and expanded asshown in Figs. 3-5 and then compacted, preparatory to bending the stripinto the desired U -shape or other cross section to constitute a windowchannel or the like. The sequence of the operations does not constituteessence of the invention.

The invention is not strictly limited to guides for sliding windowsproper, but also extends to a' related article known as contour ribbonor water-tight joint, which is used for holding and guiding the slidingwindows of automobiles. Two

such flat contour ribbons, arranged parallel, perform the same functionas a guideway of channel-shaped cross-section. In addition to guidingwindows, such shaped ribbons or strips may be used for guiding slidinpanels made of sheet metal, wood or the like for roof openings inautomobile bodies.

A contour ribbon provided with a metal core according to the inventionis remarkable, in particular, for the ease with which it can beconstrained, even by hand, to follow the most varied contours, the radiiof curvature of which may be very small. The corrugated end bands impartto the ribbon considerable flexibility and, in combination, theintermediate folds or headings prevent any unintended bending ortwisting of the ribbon. The contiguous positions of the beadingsfacilitate mounting of the ribbon accurately and quickly since theshaping of the ribbon does not substantially modify the relativepositions of the headings, which may be considered as secured to eachother, and as determining the general shap of the ribbon as a whole.

The presence of the transverse folds imparts to the ribbon the propertyof retaining its shape, so that, for example, when it has been shaped,it

suffices to fix it at a few points in order to secure it conformably tothe'surface to which the channel only is fitted. 7

It has been found that guide channels manufactured according to theinvention have a certain degree of flexibility at the'points at whichthey are bent or curved, while their straight portiOns retain theiroriginal rigidity. The channels can, therefore, be readily fitted byhand to window openings whose contour is not exactly that for whichchannelswere intended and. which have straight portions disposedatdifier'ent angles with respect to each other.

v tendingcorrugations, the ends of-saidcorruga- While I have illustratedand described the preferred form of construction -for..carrying my I 1invention into effect, the same iscapable of variation and modification;without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do notwish to be limited to the precise, details of.

construction set forth or of the operations described, but desire toavail myself of such variations adjacent to said sets of foldsterminating I13 contiguous to the related outer fold.

A contour guideway for sliding windows and the 'like,'according to claim1, wherein said longitudinal corrugations and transverse folds are 15parallel and contiguous to each other.

3-.. acontour guideway, according to claim 1,

wherein said transverse folds and said longitudinal' corrugations arerelated to each other at tions and modifications as come within thescope r of the appended claims. a

right angles.

PIERRE MESNEL.

